£3m funds chip to miniaturise optical sensors for tactile, gesture-driven controls
This article covers Uniphy, a hardware startup, raising £3m from existing backers led by Mercia Ventures via the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II and Mercia’s own funds. The funding will be used to develop a custom integrated chip and miniaturise its optical sensing interfaces to enable tactile, gesture-driven controls for cars, mobile devices and industrial equipment.
Uniphy, a hardware startup, has raised £3 million from existing backers led by Mercia Ventures through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II and Mercia’s own funds. The money is earmarked to develop an integrated chip and to miniaturise the company’s optical sensing interfaces — work that could make tactile, gesture-driven controls viable for cars, mobile devices and industrial equipment.
Why it matters
Physical controls remain attractive to many manufacturers because flat touchscreens can be distracting or difficult to use in certain conditions. Uniphy’s approach aims to bridge the gap between touch and tactile controls by offering surfaces that combine gesture recognition, pressure sensitivity and haptic feedback while being manufacturable from standard plastics or glass.
The funding is a bet on bringing that functionality into higher-volume production. If successful, the company’s miniaturised solutions could be incorporated into smaller consumer devices as well as automotive cockpits, marine controls and household appliances, broadening where tactile, non-flat interfaces can appear.
Inside the product
Uniphy’s optical sensing platform detects user input through mouldable, three-dimensional surfaces rather than relying on a flat capacitive screen. The system supports sliders, dials, gestures, haptic feedback and voice integration, and the company says it maintains performance in wet conditions.
The product is designed to be recyclable and to fit into existing manufacturing lines, which is positioned as an advantage against conventional suppliers such as Synaptics, Cypress Semiconductor and Tactus Technology. The current focus is on creating a custom integrated chip to reduce system size and cost, a step the company identifies as crucial for mass-market deployment and for embedding the technology in smaller mobile devices.
Who are the investors?
Uniphy’s £3 million round comes from Mercia Ventures, using capital from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II and Mercia’s own funds. Mercia previously invested in Uniphy and has increased its support to fund the chip development and miniaturisation work needed for larger-scale manufacturing.
David Baker of Mercia Ventures said:
From cars to consumer electronics and industrial machines, manufacturers are looking for ways to enhance user experience and differentiate. Uniphy’s technology has the potential to be a game-changer. Having backed the company early, we are pleased to continue supporting it as it prepares for mass production.
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Founder perspective
Uniphy was founded in 2015 by microelectronics specialists David Lomas and David Dearn. The company is now led by CEO Jim Nicholas, who frames the project as an attempt to improve how people interact with machines.
Jim Nicholas, CEO of Uniphy, said:
As humans, we spend much of our lives interacting with machines, but the limitations of current controls can make it a frustrating experience. Uniphy’s technology gives designers the freedom to create more intuitive interfaces and transform how we engage with devices.
The company reports completed trials with Hyundai and Grupo Antolin, signalling interest from global manufacturers in evaluating alternative human-machine interfaces.
The bigger picture
This round sits at the intersection of two wider trends in the UK and Europe: renewed attention to hardware and chip-level innovation, and continued regional investment through programmes such as the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II. Uniphy’s focus on manufacturability and recyclable materials targets pain points that often slow hardware adoption, namely cost, production integration and component size.
For policymakers and investors watching the automotive and consumer electronics supply chains, the deal is one example of how UK firms are attempting to move from prototypes to production-ready hardware. Wider adoption will depend on successful chip development, demonstrable reliability in real-world products and the ability to compete on cost with established component suppliers across Europe and beyond.
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